Shower enclosure assembly



R. J. DIETRICH 2,851,695

SHOWER ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed July 8, 1955 Sept. 16, 1958 IN V EN TOR.

.4rraewts4 United States Patent SHOWER ENCLOSURE ASSEMBLY Ralph J.Dietrich, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 8, 1955, Serial No. 520,803

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-154) This invention relates to improvements in bathingstall enclosures generally of the type having at least one movable panelusually, but not always, mounted in tandem with another similar panelitself either movable or stationary, and more particularly has to dowith a novel panel construction incorporating a movable closure arrangedto provide access from the interior of the bathing stall through thepanel and to a towel support at the outside thereof, without requiringopening of the panel itself, the closure and towel support designpermitting relative movement of one or both of the panels withoutinterference.

In U. S. Patent No. 2,741,778 entitled, Shower Door Assembly, I describea towel support and closure construction incorporated in a movable panelin which the closure is ofiset from the plane of the panel. The presentinvention, while relating to the concepts involved in my priorapplication, goes further and concerns itself with such improvements asextend the utility of the panel assembly incorporating the closure andtowel bar construction particularly as regards saving of space and aworking relationship with a second panel, either movable or stationary.Furthermore, the invention embodies certain novel concepts not disclosedin my prior application and particularly adapting the improvedconstruction to multiple paneled shower enclosures.

In accordance with the above concepts, I provide in a pair of panelsmounted in side-by-side relation, at least one of the panels beingmovable relative to the other, a movable closure for a through openingin the upper part of one panel, the closure being fitted into the planeof that panel for purposes as will appear. In addition, a towel bar ismounted at the outside of that panel and preferably opposite the throughopening for access from the interior of the shower stall when the panelis closed. It is a particular feature of the invention that the towelbar and closure are mounted on the panel in such a way as to precludeinterference with or by the other panel during relative movementtherebetween, as, for example, is usually provided for by one or moretracks in which the panels slide. Alternatively, one or both of thepanels may be hinged for swinging movement relative to the stall, theclosure and towel bar construction taking into consideration this typeof panel mounting and providing for non-interference.

Particularly as regards relative sliding movement of one or both of thepanels, the mounting of the closure in the plane of the one panelprecludes such interference as would otherwise arise were the closureoffset from that plane in the path of relative movement of the otherpanel. The invention contemplates that the tracks shall be sized forrelative panel movement in directions away from one another sufficientlyfor freeing the closure for swinging movement preferably toward theinside of the panels and into the shower stall so that the occupantthereof may gain ready access to the towel bar at the outside of thestall. In addition, the towel bar itself is preferably mounted at theoutside of that panel which itr 2,851,695 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 ice .self is mounted at the outside of the other panel, so as again topreclude interference with that other panel during relative movementtherebetween.

With these purposes in mind, additional features. and objects of theinvention as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment willappear more fully understood from the following description of theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation view of the bathing stall panel assembly lookingat the exterior side thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cut-away view taken on line 3-3 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a reduced elevational view of the exterior of a slightlymodified bathing stall panel .assembly.

The drawings illustrate the bathing stall panel assembly 10 mountedwithin a rectangular opening 11 formed by tiled stall side walls 12 andbase 13, the latter mounting a rectangular frame forming a part of thepanel assembly and including vertical side frame members 14 andhorizontal top and bottom frame members 15. The frame is constructed insuch a manner as to mount a pair of panel members 16 and 17 usually, butnot necessarily, substantially in the plane of the frame. For thispurpose, in the example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the horizontal top andbottom frame members 15 are provided with horizontal tracks 18 extendingbetween the side frame members 14 and adjacent one another, suitablevertical guides 19 confining the tracks and separating them. Theside'frame members 14 extend vertically between the top and bottom framemembers 15 and may be formed as shown in Fig. 2 to comprise channelsopening toward panels .16 and 17 to receive side portions thereof whenthe panels are closed against the frame.

Referring now to the construction of the panels themselves, they areessentially similar in design, panel 16v comprising a rectangular frame20 having a U-shaped or channeled cross-section as shown in Fig. 2opening on all-four sides of the frame toward the center of the panel.An opaque glass pane 21 typically forms the main body of the panel, andin the construction shown the rectangular edges of the pane areenveloped by rubber channels 22 preferably comprising neoprene or othersynthetic rubber material and being pressure-set within the channeledframe 20 to form a water-tight construction. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2,panel 16 is mounted relatively at the inside of panel 17 with respect tothe shower stall interior, and is movable by handle 23 within the upperand lower tracks 18 and into relatively overlapping position withrespect to panel 17.

The latter panel has a construction similar to that of panel 16,excepting as regards the upper portion thereof. As shown in Fig. 1, anintermediate frame member 24 extends horizontally between verticalmembers of frame 20 to form with the upper horizontal member of frame 20an opening 25 through the upper portion of panel 17. That portion of thepanel beneath frame member 24 may corn rise a smaller glass pane 21mounted by frame 20 as described in connection with panel 16.

Frame member 24 is channeled as is frome 20, both to receive rubberchannels 26 carrying flanges 27 formed on a rectangular support 28,rubber channels 26 being pear. To accommodate opening movement of theclosure away from the throughopening in the panel, a suitable handle 33is connected to the inside of frame and to a vertical portion thereofnear panel 16.

The construction of the closure 31 may be similar to that of panels 16and 17, and may typically include an opaque glass pane 34 the edges ofwhich are pressure-set within rubber channels 35 mounted within thechanneled rectangular frame 30. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a towel bar 36is connected between the vertical members of frame 20 to extendhorizontally opposite opening 25 in such position as to be accessiblefrom the inside of panel 17 when closure 31 is swung toward the interiorof the shower stall. Fig. 1 shows that a towel 37 carried by the bar 36drapes downwardly opposite the through opening for ready access. Sincethe closure 31 is positioned between the inside of panel 17 and thetowel bar, water from the interior of the shower stall cannot wet thetowel when the closure is closed. A bather desiring to dry himself needonly swing the closure inwardly toward the stall to gain ready access tothe towel, instead of having to open panel 16 or 17 and to step out ofthe stall. Access to the towel bar from the exterior of the stall may behad at all times to replace the towel, without having to open theclosure -or either of the panels.

An important concept embodied in the panel construction concernsmounting the closure substantially in the plane of panel 17 when theclosure is closed in order not to interfere with normal usage ormovement of panel 17 with respect to panel 16 and in order to economizeas regards available space within the shower stall. To illustrate, whenthe closure is closed against the jambs 32 to lie within the plane ofpanel 17, either of the side-by-side panels 16 or 17 may be moved intoor out of overlapping position with respect to the other withoutencountering interference from the closure, as would otherwise occurwere the closure offset from the plane of panel 17 toward the insidethereof. In addition, panel 17 is positioned at the outside of panel 16so that the towel bar 36 will not interfere with relative movement ofthe panels in tracks 18. Finally, the closure is hinged to the verticalportion of rectangular support 28 lying nearest the tile wall 12 toaccommodate access through opening 25 by an occupant of the stall,opening movement of the closure conveniently bringing it into proximityto the interior wall of the stall and not into a position projectingtoward the middle of the shower stall such as would inconvenience theoccupant thereof.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, movable panel 17 is connected forswinging movement away from the plane of frame members 14 and 15 by avertical piano hinge 38 joined to frame member 14 and to a verticalportion of panel frame 20. Panel 16 may be fixed in place within framemembers 14 and 15 or may be movable as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, itbeing the purpose of the modified construction merely to provide analternate method of providing access to the shower stall as through anentrance provided by the hinged panel 17.

I claim:

1. An improved bathing stall panel assembly, comprising inner and outerupright panels for forming a portion of the stall enclosure, meansincluding a frame mounting said panels in closely overlapping relationfor parallel relative movement together from minimum to maximum overlap,said outer panel containing a through opening entirely confined to theupper portion of the outer panel and extending transversely .in thePlane of that panel substantially throughout the width thereof, amovable closure for said opening directly exposed at the inside of thepanels for movement by an occupant of the stall when said panels are inminimum overlapping relation, means hinging said closure to said outerpanel in closed position in the plane thereof and for independentswinging movement about an upright axis away from closed position at theinside of said panels and relatively away from said inner panel, saidclosure hinging means being near the upright edge of said outer panelfurthest away from said inner panel whereby said panels are relativelymovable together sufficiently when the closure is fully open to provideegress from the stall for. said occupant, and a towel bar carried by andat the outside of said outer panel opposite said opening and openlyexposed to said closure for carrying a towel accessible through saidopening when said closure is opened by a bather at the inside of theouter panel.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which said frame includes atrack mounting said outer panel and in which said track is sized formovement of said. outer panel in a direction away from the inner panelto free said closure for said inward swinging movement when the panelsare in minimum overlapping relation. 3. The invention as defined inclaim 2 in which said frame includes another track and in which saidtracks are sized for relative movement of said panels away from oneanother to free said closure for said swinging move ment when the panelsare in minimum overlapping relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS700,863 Wansbrough May 27, 1902 831,549 Garfinkle Sept. 25, 1906 843,139Feldman Feb. 5, 1907 1,392,580 Landau Oct. 4, 1921 1,581,776 AltschulApr. 20, 1926 I 2,197,385 Ricken Apr. 16, 1940 2,374,490 Lehman 1. Apr.24, 1945 2,741,778 Dietrich Apr, 17, 1956

